Rochester a national standout for volunteerism

Rochester has the second-highest volunteer rates in the nation, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship states.

The study took a three-year average of volunteer rates for large American cities from 2010 to 2012, finding Rochester was No. 2 with a volunteer rate of 35.1 percent. Minneapolis-St. Paul was higher at 36.7 percent.

Rochester also ranked high on a list of average volunteer hours per resident for the three-year period, ranking No. 11 with an average of 36.4 hours per resident.

The results are not as high statewide. In a three-year list that spanned from 2010 and 2012, one that included all 50 states along with the District of Columbia, New York ranked No. 50 with a 20.6 percent volunteer rate. Only Louisiana ranked lower, with a 20.4 percent rate. Utah ranked highest with a volunteer rate of 43.8 percent.

The report found close to one in four adults volunteered through an organization in 2012, and altogether 64.5 million Americans volunteered nearly 7.9 billion hours in 2012. The estimated value of this volunteer service is close to $175 billion, the report states.